The Green Hornet: STILL AT LARGE
by DARK KNIGHT of the MOON
Summary: This is my Green Hornet Fanfic. It consists of 3 parts. Green Hornet and all related characters owned by The Green Hornet Inc. A new racketeer called Casper Fonzello has come to power in Detroit. The Green Hornet and Kato must stop him. Please R & R.
1. PART 1: How It Begins

**Chapter 1**

It was an unusually warm Detroit afternoon as Britt Reid, owner and publisher of the city's leading newspaper _The Daily Sentinel_, sat in his large office on the 5th floor, talking to Gunnigan, his assistant editor.

"Yes Gunnigan, get that article ready for the afternoon edition."

"Right boss," Gunnigan replied rushing out of his employer's office.

Britt Reid sat back in his luxurious office chair as his phone rang. As he hastily picked up the receiver, Frank Scanlon, district attorney and personal friend to Britt, met him on the other end.

"Hi Britt! I was calling to make sure you'd be at the courthouse tomorrow for The Fonzello Trial."

"You know it Frank, I wouldn't miss it for the world," Reid exclaimed.

"I'll bet, especially after working to bring him down as the Green Hornet," Scanlon said aware of Britt Reid's other identity. "You know with the evidence you've provided me with, I have put together one hell of a case. I want to thank you Britt."

"Don't thank me Frank, we're on the same team. The Hornet is only part of the reason that Casper Fonzello is being brought to justice."

"Well, thank you anyway, see you tomorrow," the district attorney uttered.

"That's fine Frank, bye," Reid said with a cheer, hanging up the receiver.

Leaning back in his chair with a long sigh, Britt recalled in his mind what this was all about. Most recently Casper Fonzello had come to power in Detroit's underworld, and had made million dollar deals through a faux real-estate firm, trafficking drugs and running a protection racket. Britt, as the Green Hornet had gathered enough evidence for Scanlon to possibly bring him down. The Hornet had dealt with other gangsters and racketeers before, but Fonzello with his group of cronies, had been by far the toughest to capture that he had ever encountered.

He hadn't had his alter ego for very long. Just one year earlier, he had taken up the mantle of the Green Hornet, a mysterious vigilant crime fighter, due to years of disgust with growing crime rates in Detroit, as well as seeing his father die in jail after being framed for a capital crime. His faithful philipino valet and all-round manservant Kato had sworn to serve Britt Reid for the rest of his life, because of Reid saving his life as a young boy somewhere in Asia. He aided Reid in his war on crime, as a sidekick, having assembled an impressive arsenal in a supped-up old black car dubbed the Black Beauty, as well as a special pistol that shot sleeping gas, instead of usual rounds. Reid used his newspaper that he had inherited from his father, to play up the Hornet's reputation as a gangster. This helped him to better infiltrate rackets by posing as a racketeer himself. As a result the Green Hornet was a known fugitive with only Kato, Scanlon and the Sentinel's secretary Miss Lenore Case, knowing his identity and aiding his fight.

Suddenly Miss Case buzzed Reid over the office intercom.

"Go ahead Miss Case,"

"Mr. Reid, Axford is back with some news."

"Send him in Miss Case," Reid acknowledged straightening in his chair.

In walked Mike Axford, crime correspondent for the Sentinel, with a worried look on his face. He was a seemingly jolly, slightly overweight and very loose-lipped man in his forties that looked as if years of stress had taken their toll on him. He looked at his smug boss and said "Hi Reid, you'll never guess what I heard down at the police station."

"What's that Mike?"

"Well, I heard that the cops got a tip that someone is going to stage a jailbreak for Fonzello after the trial, if he's found guilty."

"My God Mike, did you hear when this is supposed to happen?"

"Well no, not exactly. The cops don't know much about it, they just got the tip."

"Well, if I had known this earlier, I would have put this information into the afternoon edition. Thanks a lot Mike, I'll put in a call to Scanlon and the police. They can deal with it tomorrow."

"Okay Reid, well I'm off to home," Axford said heading for the door.

"Fine, bye Mike," Reid exclaimed. He stood up as Axford left and put in a call to his apartment. Moments later Kato answered.

"Reid residence," the philipino man replied.

"It's me Kato. Axford just came in with some news that sometime after Fonzello's trial, if he's found guilty, which you know he will be, his boys are gonna bust him from prison."

"Wow, are you sure Mr. Britt? You suppose the Green Hornet might try to stop this break?"

"Yes Kato, but all we can do now is wait. Come pick me up from work and we'll talk more about it tonight."

"I'll be right there, Mr. Britt."

"Bye Kato," Britt hung up the phone and looked at the clock on the wall. It read five-thirty. As he walked out of his office, he noticed the beautiful brunette Lenore Case still hard at work at her desk.

"I'd like to finish these editorials for the early edition, then I will leave Mr. Reid," the secretary spoke as she saw him look at her.

"Stay as long as you'd like Miss Case, just lock up the building whenever you're done. And watch out for those night janitors, they're a little strange," Reid joked. "I better head out, Kato is probably waiting on me."

"Oh tell him I said hello," Miss Case waved.

"Will do," and with that Reid left the lobby and headed for the elevator.

On his way down to the ground floor, Reid thought about all the work he had put into bringing down the city's most dangerous man, both as a newspaperman and The Green Hornet. And his trial was tomorrow; Reid hoped justice would be served.

* * *

The next morning, around eight o'clock, Britt Reid walked into the courthouse with Kato in tow. Frank Scanlon headed toward them.

"Good morning Britt," the attorney half shouted from across the lobby.

"Morning Frank, you know Kato."

"Ah yes hello,"

"Hi Sir," Kato replied.

"I'd like to wish you luck in advance Frank,"

"Oh thank you Britt. We have a strong case, but still this man has never been convicted. He's been implicated several times but when it gets to trial, he always gets off. He's a very powerful man in Detroit's underworld; they call him 'the Ghost' because he has seen so many trials, yet never served time."

"Just as you say, you have a strong case," Britt agreed.

As the three men entered the courtroom, a large crowd occupied the hall behind them. Reid recognized what appeared to be some of Fonzello's cronies preparing to enter the courtroom. The crowd began to move into the courtroom with the usual hustle and bustle. As soon as everyone was seated and quiet, the trial began. As Scanlon gave his opening arguments the jury appeared already convinced. Britt Reid sat in surprise on the front row of the room, next to Kato, as he realized that his friend, the district attorney, was seeking the death penalty for one Casper "the Ghost" Fonzello. Scanlon was rarely so harsh but under the circumstances, Britt didn't mind. After all, this was the man who used his real-estate agency as a front for the most dangerous racket in Detroit. He was the mastermind behind the recent increase in Detroit's juvenile drug addiction as well as the man who personally raped two showgirls at the club he owned in downtown called _The Big Score_. Those girls were never seen again. He was surely at fault and had ruined a lot of people's lives. He deserved whatever would come to him.

As time went by, Scanlon was more and more sure that Fonzello was going to death row. As the trial continued, Fonzello sat next to his lawyer with a giant grin on his face. As he watched Scanlon address the jury, he kept giving the confident district attorney some interesting looks, as was noted by the judge. Finally the jury was sent to the back of the courthouse to deliberate on his sentence.

Moments had passed as the courtroom had entered uproar. Everyone was dieing to know what was to become of the gangster Casper Fonzello. As the jury entered, it got quiet enough to hear a pin drop. The judge quickly addressed the head juror.

"Has the jury reached a verdict for Mr. Fonzello?"

"We have your honor, we find the defendant guilty on all charges but request that he not receive the death penalty. We, the jury ask that his sentence be life imprisonment without possibility of parole."

Immediately chaos filled the courtroom as the spectators started screaming. No one in the audience could believe that his sentence had been commuted to life imprisonment. This man was a murderer and Detroit's legal system, believed strongly in the concept of an eye for an eye. Amazingly, Fonzello's cronies sitting near the back on the opposite side of Britt Reid were calm. When Britt noticed this, he knew that something was up. The court had plaid right into the hands of this crime boss.

As the gavel came down, the judge ordered the bailiff to remove Fonzello from courtroom. The stunned cop quickly carried Detroit's biggest gangster out of the courtroom, he grimly smiled at Frank Scanlon and then was gone.

As Reid saw Fonzello exit the courtroom, he had a sinking feeling, as if this would not be the last time he would see Fonzello. He thought about the tip he had received from Axford about the crime boss' jailbreak.

Reid and Kato got up to leave the courtroom, as Frank Scanlon approached them.

"Well Reid, we tried. Now everyone is going to have to go through a lot of red tape to keep him in prison. He could easily appeal."

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about the supposed breakout that Axford told me about yesterday," Reid said, lowering his voice so no one else in the vicinity would hear.

"Oh yes, well in case the Green Hornet may be involved, I'm not going to alert the authorities just yet. The media would have a field day."

"I appreciate that Frank, if all goes well the police will know about it soon enough."

"Right, well Britt, I'm gonna have to get out of here. It was nice seeing you again Mr. Kato."

"Oh yes sir Mr. Scanlon," Kato acknowledged.

Britt and Kato quickly exited the courthouse and headed for Kato's car.

"You could tell that jury was certainly influenced in favor of Fonzello," Britt said to Kato.

"Yes Mr. Britt" Kato started as they entered the car. "I have never seen a jury so scared."

"Well Kato," Britt began as Kato started the car, "The Green Hornet is going to have to work extra hard now, thanks to that jury."

"I agree," Kato declared as the car headed for home.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

The next day, Britt Reid stood in his office at The Daily Sentinel. Everyone in the entire building, as well as the city, had been overcome with disappointment at the outcome of the trial. Life imprisonment was one thing, but most people knew a powerful crime boss like Fonzello wouldn't serve life. He most likely would either get a retrial or find some way to get parole. Had he gotten the death penalty, things would have been very different.

Britt, Frank Scanlon, and a host of police had all been waiting for Fonzello's supposed jailbreak. This would have made a great story as well as given the Green Hornet an opportunity to figure things out. Abruptly Miss Case buzzed in on the intercom.

"Mr. Reid…"

"What is it Miss Case," Reid answered just as quickly as she had buzzed in.

"Just wondering if you've heard anything about the Fonzello matter. Anything yet?"

"No Miss Case, as soon as Frank Scanlon hears anything, he's supposed to let me know. If we get word that something has indeed happened, I want Gunnigan to put out the afternoon edition and get everyone out of here. We're going to call it a day if so."

"Oh all right," Lenore Case answered.

Suddenly the phone rang. Britt desperately hoped this was the call he had been waiting for all morning long.

"Britt Reid, Daily Sentinel," he answered in a rush.

"It's going down tonight at eight o'clock. You surely be printing this stuff in your paper, eh?"

"Who is this?"

"You surely be alerting the coppers, won't ya'?"

"Damn it who is this?" Reid said, losing his patience.

Suddenly the line was dead. Reid couldn't believe it, an informant had just alerted him. But why inform a newspaper publisher and not the cops? Maybe the informant was one of Fonzello's men wanting something about the jailbreak to be published. Maybe it was some kind of setup? Reid couldn't be sure. He did know the last thing he wanted to do was alert his employees; especially Mike Axford who would surely tell all of Detroit what just happened if he could. He figured if he informed the police, they would get in the way of the Green Hornet. He decided the first thing to do was to see if Scanlon or the police had in fact heard anything similar. He called Scanlon, but he hadn't heard anything. Reid told him what had happened and pleaded with him to keep quiet for now. Scanlon knew this meant the Green Hornet was on the case, so he reluctantly agreed to keep quiet about the phone call, for now at least.

* * *

Later in Britt Reid's apartment, Kato and Reid were quickly going over their plans for the night. That hot tip that Reid got at work had bothered him. He was still very puzzled about the whole thing. Whatever was to happen, one thing was certain, it was time to go to work. The two of them raced into Reid's bedroom and opened his closet door. With the flick of a switch, the wall in the back of the closet collapsed, revealing a secret passage. The two men ran inside and went down a long dimly lit hall that lead to the building behind Britt Reid's apartment. This building was on the back of a street and appeared abandoned, but actually this building housed the Black Beauty as well as the Hornet's costume and arsenal. The only entrance to the place was through the tunnel that Reid and Kato had installed from the back of his closet.

Reid changed into a suit and green trench coat, and then mounted a mask with a hornet emblazoned on the front, that covered the lower half of his face like a surgeon. Quickly placing a pair of black gloves on his hands, he topped the ensemble with a green fedora. Kato adorned his chauffeur's suit and gentleman's cap, and then placed his black mask over his eyes. The Green Hornet grabbed his gas gun and the pair entered the fabulous stark-black, modified limousine the Black Beauty. The Green Hornet took to the wheel as Kato rode shotgun and as the marvelous machine came to a roar, it shot out of a secret access route that only opened at the sound of a hornet-like buzz made by the Black Beauty.

As the Black Beauty exited from the wall of a vacant alleyway behind the supposedly abandoned building, the Green Hornet checked his watch. The time was seven-thirty. It was just beginning to get dark so he knew there was still time to carry out his plan. The ominous vehicle sped down the street en route to the Gateway Penitentiary, Detroit's largest maximum-security prison. As the Black Beauty entered the heart of downtown, passing the Daily Sentinel, it abruptly pulled into a crowded parking lot. They had reached their destination. All was quiet; it was evident nothing had yet occurred. Kato peered out the passenger window at the gargantuan, gothic structure. This was definitely an eerie place up close.

As the two men waited, a searchlight suddenly kicked on from a heavily armed watchtower, located directly across from the parking lot they were stationed at. The light crept throughout the prison yard and over to one of the cell houses, they knew something was up. The only way to stop this supposed breakout would be to get inside the prison. The Green Hornet couldn't risk himself getting caught and as such planned to let the breakout happen and then he and Kato would act.

Suddenly a loud siren sounded from the watchtower, indicating a definite prison break. Gunshots could be heard sounding from just inside the prison gates. Suddenly the Hornet noticed something strange, three men approaching the fence that lined the parking lot, with a fourth man, that could only be recognized as Fonzello, dressed in prison attire following not far behind firing a handgun at approaching officers, striking one in the chest and the other in the leg.

"Take that coppers," Fonzello uttered.

The three goons worked as quickly as they could with wire cutters, cutting an opening in the fence. Soon all four men were through the fence to freedom, as a bulky helicopter came from behind the prison. As quickly as it landed, the three men boarded the aircraft, but Fonzello recognized The Black Beauty. The Green Hornet and Kato could do nothing but watch, as the escaping prisoner grabbed a Tommy gun from the chopper and blasted away at the Beauty just before boarding. Projectiles bounced off the car's bulletproof frame just before the helicopter ascended.

Without warning, police sirens seemed to come out of nowhere. The Black Beauty shot off like a rocket to evade the cops as well as chase the eluding chopper. As the menacing car sped through the streets, three patrol cars followed behind, some in pursuit of the alarming black car, others worried about the prison break.

"What do we do?" a seemingly worried Kato asked from the passenger seat of the Black Beauty.

Realizing they had no other choice The Hornet responded. "It looks like plans have changed Kato. We have to evade the cops Kato, we can't risk being caught."

"But Fonzello will get away," the philipino man worried.

"There will be other times," the Green Hornet stated with confidence.

"But," Kato exclaimed, wanting so bad to argue but not finding the words.

"There will be other times, don't worry," the Hornet assured his sidekick quickly deploying the Black Beauty's rear smoke screen. Suddenly a cloud of dark smoke materialized in front of the pursuing police cars.

With that, the Black Beauty swiftly pulled into a familiar alleyway, and as the hornet-like buzz sounded, a wall quickly collapsed granting the Black Beauty access. As soon as they had reached safety, the wall assumed the ordinary position. Moments later, cop cars drove past the alley, soon realizing the Green Hornet was nowhere to be found.

* * *

Days had passed as Britt Reid sat in the kitchen of his apartment sipping some tea and talking to Kato.

"Well Kato, it's been nearly a week since Fonzello's jailbreak. Who knows where they are by now. I imagine they will stay hidden for quite sometime, but his organization isn't what it once was. He'll have to make a move sooner or later, and when he does we'll be ready, so in the meantime the Green Hornet can investigate some places that might be tied in with Fonzello, " he informed his faithful manservant.

"That sounds smart Mr. Britt. But have you heard anything from the police, that is anything the Daily Sentinel could use to our advantage?"

"Well, two days ago someone reported something to Axford about a possible kidnapping of three dancers from Fonzello's club The Big Score, but no one understands why Fonzello would kidnap his own employees. So far, nothing has panned out but Axford is investigating. What we need is a good lead. Take me to the Sentinel Kato, I told Miss Case I'd be in today."

"Yes Sir, Mr. Britt," Kato dutifully responded as the two walked out the door.

* * *

That night, a sinister figure moved along the side of the building that was The Big Score, Fonzello's downtown nightspot. The figure came upon a back entrance and hurried inside. As the figure went inside what appeared to be a dimly lit taproom, he sauntered toward the man behind the bar.

"Where's the manager, the figure said."

"You, the Green Hornet, what do you want?" the bartender pleaded.

"Where's the manager, I wanna speak with him."

"He's right here," the man said casually, quickly drawing a small pistol.

"Wrong answer," the Green Hornet shouted, slamming the man's hand into the table, forcing him to drop the gun. "Now where is he," the Hornet demanded, shoving the barkeep into the wall.

"Okay, I'll get him," the man said pushing a button on an intercom that was built into the wall.

"Yeah?" a voice replied over a speaker.

"Uh listen Rocko, I need to see you for a minute."

Suddenly a large rather fat man walked through the door and slammed it shut. It was Rocko, manager of the place.

"What is it? I'm a very busy man who's entertaining a few guests out front."

Without warning, the Green Hornet popped out from behind the bar.

"Oh my God, the Green Hornet," escaped Rocko's lips.

"That's right fella, I'm here to serve a warning."

"You don't scare me Hornet, what do you want?" Rocko persisted.

"I want your boss. You tell him the Green Hornet is after him. And I'll do whatever I have to, to get to him," the Hornet declared.

"My boss? I don't know what you mean Hornet, now get out of here. I don't deal with crooks."

"Yeah, well I do fella. I'm not leaving until I get some answers," the Hornet threatened just before drawing his gas gun."

"You get out before I call the cops, you're the known criminal, not me," Rocko reminded, smiling at the nervous barkeep behind the counter.

"Tell me what happened to the three dancers that were kidnapped from here," the Green Hornet continued to demand, aiming his gun at the bartender.

"That's none of your business Hornet. Do you know what Mr. Fonzello would do to me if I told him that the Hornet was trying to muscle in on his racket."

"I'm making it my business, and I don't want any part of his racket. I want him gone. He's ruining my operations."

"Listen Mr. Hornet," the bartender spoke up, "you came to us. Just because Mr. Fonzello owns this place, that doesn't mean he clues us in on anything. We're just hired help."

"Have it your way boys", the Green Hornet said.

Realizing he wasn't getting anywhere with mere conversation, he gave the bartender a shot from the gas gun. The Bartender immediately fell to the floor, unconscious. Without any hesitation, Rocko lunged at the Hornet, but was quickly taken out with a slug to the chin. He quickly gave him a dose of gas as well and bent down to both men, planting his calling card, a green hornet emblem known as the hornet seal on each of their foreheads.

"Just give your boss the message for me. Tell him to be careful," the Green Hornet explained then left, slamming the door behind him.

He went to a nearby alley, where Kato lied in wait with the Black Beauty.

"How'd it go?"

"Not like I'd hoped Kato, I didn't get any information, but my suspicions have been confirmed," the Hornet replied entering the driver's seat.

A monstrous roar raged from the engine. As the Black Beauty came to life, it quickly shot out of the back alley and picked up speed.

"Where to Mr. Britt?" Kato asked.

"Home Kato, we're apparently going to have to rethink our plan, since we're not getting any information from anyone. Tomorrow, I'll publish an article linking the Green Hornet to Fonzello. Maybe this will bring our man out of hiding."

"Very good, Mr. Britt," Kato acknowledged.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

The next day Britt Reid was at the Daily Sentinel early, putting together what he hoped would be the publication that would lead the Green Hornet to Casper Fonzello. He had just finished writing the article and was set to put it in the hands of Gunnigan, his assistant editor when he arrived. He wanted this article to be front-page news in the day's early, afternoon and evening editions. This article was to claim that the Green Hornet and Fonzello were in cahoots, and that the Hornet helped him escape from prison as well as kidnap two girls from his own club The Big Score.

Minutes had passed as the office came to life with its employees. Lenore Case and Gunnigan appeared in the newsroom.

"Morning Mr. Reid."

"Morning Gunnigan, just the man I wanted to see. Come into my office."

"Sure boss, what's up?"

"I've written an article, look it over and give it a run in every edition of the day as front-page news."

"Sure thing boss, " the editor replied hurrying out of the office and into the editorial room.

Reid quickly buzzed Miss Case over the intercom. "Miss Case, when Axford comes in, send him into my office.

"Yes sir, Mr. Reid," his secretary faithfully answered.

Reid sat in his executive chair reading an earlier Sentinel publication from months past on Fonzello. He was by now obsessed with the capture of Fonzello, especially since those girls had been kidnapped. The kidnapping was another matter altogether. After all, the police hadn't officially labeled it kidnapping yet. Fonzello was a suspect, the only suspect in Britt's mind. Britt thought that Fonzello had purposely kidnapped them, but couldn't figure out the motive. He still couldn't understand why someone like Fonzello would commit an abduction so soon after hi breakout. In any case, Reid didn't have all the facts yet. He had an interview in a few minutes with a girl who worked with the three victims at Fonzello's club.

Unexpectedly Axford stormed in. "Hi, Reid. How are you?"

"Well, I'm fine, Mike. I had something I wanted to tell you. I wanted to let you know that I've written an article about the Green Hornet. There is evidence to suggest that he is in with the Fonzello racket."

"Sufferin' Snakes Boss, I been telling you that all along. Glory be Reid, if I could only get my hands on that Hornet, I'd show him a thing or two, that's what I would do Reid," Axford said, getting very excited, as he often did when the Green Hornet was mentioned.

Suddenly Miss Case buzzed in. "Mr. Reid, Tiffany Margolis from The Big Score is here to see you."

"Oh that's fine Miss Case send her in," Reid said motioning for Axford to leave.

"I'll be back later Britt," Axford said passing a young, beautiful, buxom blonde.

She strolled in and sat across from Reid's desk. "Hello Mr. Reid, it's wonderful of you to see me on such a short notice," she pronounced in a light whisper.

"That's fine Miss Margolis, I just have a few questions for you. First, how well do you know these women, the ones that mysteriously disappeared?"

"Oh the girls well, we're not best friends or anything, none of us are, but we know each other pretty well," the pretty lady declared.

"Okay," Britt continued, "just a couple more questions. Do you know any of them to be involved in any kind of illegal activity?"

The question shocked the young woman, Britt could tell but never the less she answered casually, "No, not that I know of. Now, I know that we all work for The Big Score which is owned by some supposed racketeer, but the truth is not many of the employees in that place have any dealing with any racket."

"Okay, finally Miss Margolis, is there anything you can tell me about the girls that might be any kind of clue to their disappearance? Are they involved in anything dangerous, like bad relationships or anything?"

"Well, no sir. We're all just dancers for money. It's strictly entertainment."

"That's fine Miss Margolis, again I appreciate your cooperation in this matter," Britt concluded the interview.

"Thank you Mr. Reid, goodbye," the buxom beauty replied standing and then leaving the office.

* * *

The next day, at an undisclosed location on the east side of Detroit, Casper Fonzello sat in an executive recliner, puffing away on a pipe and reading the article that Britt Reid had published the day before, over a dimly lit lamp. His right hand man, Romano Versini nervously entered the room and stood beside him.

"Boss, have you seen this morning's Sentinel? Britt Reid had an interview with one of the girls from the club." the stocky man informed.

"No Romano, I could care less, I'm still obsessing over yesterday's article linking us to the Green Hornet. The paper makes us out to be partners. This isn't gonna look good to our underworld affiliates. Everybody but me is afraid of that fiend. We might lose some of our most important business deals."

"C'mon boss, you being indicted in front of a grand jury has already cost us our legitimate business deals like Fonzello Real Estate, as well as –."

"That's right Romano," the crime boss cut in, "now the only deals we have is strictly ill legit, thanks to that blasted Hornet. Anyway, he's not as smart as you make him out to be. If he was, he would've found us at the first sign of that kidnapping we did. We don't have anything to worry about. If the Hornet butts in, he'll get his just as everyone else who stood in my way has," Fonzello confidently stated, situating himself in his chair.

"Boss," Romano continued, "you don't give him enough credit. I don't like it Casper, I mean we already found my brother Rocky and that barkeep," Romano stated nervously. "The Hornet seal was on their foreheads, that proves he did it. And what kind of a racketeer can outrun the cops every time, and never gets caught; I don't think the Hornet is human."

"Like I said Romano, if the Hornet butts in, its curtains, get me? You worry too much."

"I got it Boss," Romano stated nervously.

"I tell you what Romano, send out a signal for the Hornet, a little somethin', I wanna arrange a meeting."

"Here? Boss, you must be jokin'."

"No not here, he can meet us at the warehouse. And no Romano, I'm not joking. Send the armored van out and do a sweep of a bank, any bank. Get Locino and Casteline to head it up," he said referring to his two best goons. "I want you to publicize it personally for the Hornet. Find a way to alert the police. The Hornet will figure it out. Make sure you're followed."

"But Boss, the cops-."

"Don't worry about the coppers. We'll take care of em', get me," Fonzello said with a grim smile.

"Yeah Boss, I got it."

* * *

The next afternoon at the Daily Sentinel, Axford stormed in with some news.

"Hi Casey, is Reid in?" Axford wondered, putting his arm around Miss Case.

"Yes Axford, he's in his office," Miss Case replied.

Axford wasted no time and barged into Reid's office. "Hi Reid, you'll never guess what I found out down at the station," he said excitedly.

"What now Mike?" Reid exclaimed from his chair, trying to appease his reporter.

"Well, I got a scoop that the Green Hornet and the Fonzello racket are gonna pick off a bank tonight."

"Really, that's interesting! What bank?" Reid's ears perked up at talk of the Hornet.

"Well now, the cops aren't sure, but they've got a dispatch out at every bank in Detroit I tell you. They're gonna catch that Hornet tonight Boss."

"Let's hope so Mike," Reid played along.

"Alright Reid, I'm off to tackle this story."

"Yes Axford, you do that," Reid exclaimed as Axford left his office.

Moments later Reid was on the phone with Kato alerting him of the news.

"That's right Kato, tonight. Come pick me up from work now and we'll discuss a way to find out exactly what bank Fonzello plans to bump off. Right, okay bye."

As he slammed the phone down in a rush, he grabbed his coat and raced out of the office.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Hours later, an armored van sat parked behind the deserted First National Bank just outside downtown. The two doors on the back of the vehicle swiftly opened, as three masked men leapt out into the cover of night. The three men, each wielding a crowbar, crept up to a glass door that served as the back entrance to the poorly guarded joint. One of the men gripped a small glasscutter from inside his coat and sliced an entrance into what was an otherwise locked door. Once a hole, big enough to fit a grubby hand into, was placed in the door, one goon reached in and unlocked the entrance. As the three men entered, one of them switched on a flashlight and noticed a flight of stairs. The men quickly rushed up the stairway and entered the lobby. Two of the men diligently worked, busting up cash registers from behind the counter, then placing their contents in moneybags. As the third man made use of a blowtorch, boring a hole in a large bank vault from across the room, he was unexpectedly met with a strike to the head. Losing the blowtorch, he fell backward and suddenly the radiance from the flashlight was no more. The three men stood in total darkness, as one of them spoke.

"Romano, what the hell are you doin'? Turn the light back on."

"Frankie, we're not alone," claimed the man who had just been knocked in the face, as he turned on the blowtorch for illumination.

"The Green Hornet," the third man ended his silence.

As the three men noticed beyond the blowtorch that their aggressor was the Green Hornet, they began moving toward him for an attack.

By now the first man who was obviously Romano Versini, Casper Fonzello's right hand thug, waved the blowtorch, trying to strike the Hornet. The Green Hornet quickly lunged out of the way, then made fast work of the blowtorch. As it slid across the floor, the two men behind Romano grasped their crowbars and headed straight for the Hornet. One of them threw his tool toward the Hornet. The masked vigilante tried to swing out of harms way, but the heavy instrument contacted his chest. The Hornet immediately fell to the ground heaving.

Frankie Casteline, one of Fonzello's best all around thugs, immediately rushed over to where the Green Hornet lay. Without warning, he delivered a kick to the Hornet's gut. The Hornet groaned in pain, as Frankie quickly picked him up, holding him with a vice grip by the neck.

"Now to see who this Green Hornet character really is," Frankie uttered, ready to pull off his mask.

Out of the blue, a gunshot came through a nearby window as sirens began to howl from just outside. The Hornet kneed Casteline in the groin, at the sudden distraction. Casteline momentarily dropped to the floor, just before getting back up in full retreat.

"Damn it boys, it's the cops. Let's get outta here," Romano shouted as the three men began to rush out the way they had come in, with moneybags in tow.

As three cops busted through the large window, entering the scene they immediately recognized the Green Hornet.

"Oh my God it's the Hornet, I knew he was in with the Fonzello gang. After him men," the apparent leader ordered.

With no time to spare, the Green Hornet exited the same way Fonzello's goons had a moment ago. As he darted out the access that the thugs had used for entry, gunfire following him, Kato sped up alongside in the Black Beauty. The Hornet darted into the passenger seat and the car sped out from behind the bank. Kato sounded the loud, hornet-like buzz, alerting everyone around of the Green Hornet's presence.

Without fail, cop cars chased behind the black limousine, sirens blazing in pursuit. But the Black Beauty was also on the trail of the armored van holding Fonzello's thugs and the money they had escaped with. As the chase progressed, the Hornet knew he could not afford to let the crooks go this time, no matter how many cop cars were on his tail. Abruptly, two explosive charges shot out from lengthy tubes installed in the Black Beauty's bumper. The charges bounced into the road and just before the approaching cops reached them, they detonated, doing severe damage to the officer's cars.

"Follow that van Kato," the Green Hornet ordered from the passenger side of the Black Beauty. "Tonight, we pay Fonzello a visit," he muttered, now more confident since they were no longer being followed.

"Why do you think Fonzello would rob a bank," Kato asked his alert master.

"Maybe his organization is falling apart and he needs a little something to finance an operation. It could also be a trap for us Kato, we need to be careful."

The Beauty continued to follow the armored van closely, until coming to a large brick complex with high fencing surrounding the perimeter. As the van approached the apparent entrance to the place, the Black Beauty stalled behind the cover of a large oak tree on the opposite side of the street. As the gate released, the armored van entered through.

Kato pressed a button on the dashboard and the engine went silent. The Black Beauty was now rigged for silent running, to better the stealth of the Hornet and his aid. The car shifted slowly as Kato parked it to the side of the nearby fence just ahead of the entrance. As the Green Hornet slinked from the car, Kato stood wait by the Black Beauty.

"Wait for me here Kato. I won't be long," the Hornet ordered as he climbed the fence with great precision like an alley cat in the night.

* * *

The three goons from the armored van, carrying all the money they had recovered from the bank, took an elevator to the second floor of the warehouse they had just entered. As the elevator doors opened, these men entered a boardroom, finding their boss Fonzello, relaxing in a black executive chair dressed in classic gangster garb, a dark red suit and fedora, with cigar in mouth.

"Well boys, did you get the dough?" Fonzello inquired.

"Yeah we got it," Romano Versini spoke up first.

"More importantly, did the Hornet find you?" Fonzello asked, the question burning in his mind.

"Yeah boss, he was on our trail last we saw," Frankie Casteline declared.

"Good, and what about you Locino, what have you got for me?"

"Well boss, I nailed him. I nailed the Hornet, but the cops showed up just as Frankie was about to unmask him," The third man, Salvatore Locino, spoke up walking from behind his accomplices.

"Listen to me boys, the cops better not have followed you. They didn't I trust," Casper cried out in a aggravated tone.

"No boss, the Hornet took care of em'. He shot some kind of explosive at them," Frankie Casteline uttered.

"Well, the Hornet doing our work for us. That gives me an idea."

Suddenly the elevator sounded with a ding and as the doors opened the Green Hornet jolted out onto the floor.

"Well now, quite a party we have going on here," the Hornet exclaimed.

"You. I'm glad you could make it Hornet. I must admit I did in fact lead you here with the intention of an ambush. I was gonna end you Hornet, then I was gonna expose you to the cops as a bargaining chip. But now, I think you might be useful," Fonzello declared raising from his chair.

"I'm not gonna get involved in any games with you Casper old boy. I've been on your trail for a long time. You are ruining my operations. The sooner I get you out of the way the better."

"Hornet, nobody wants a gang war on the streets of Detroit. Listen, I could make it worth your while. You and I are not that different. What do you say I continue to run my operations, the way I been doin', and you keep the cops off my back."

"Yeah, well what's in it for me?" the Green Hornet questioned playing along.

"Don't worry Hornet, I got you covered," Fonzello promised.

"Even if I wanted to help you Fonzello, my services don't come cheap."

"How about a twenty five percent cut?"

"Hmmm, you drive a hard bargain Casper," the Hornet continued to play along.

"Look Hornet, you're the one that the cops want more than anything. I'm just a gangster, the biggest gangster in the city mind you, but still, just a gangster. You sir, are a legend in this town. With your gang and my gang together, we could clean up pretty good in this racket. We would be invincible Hornet, think of it."

"Well Casper, everyone already assumes we're in on this together anyway, thanks to Britt Reid's paper. Okay Casper Fonzello, you have a deal, but I suspect you only kidnapped those dames from your club to get to me. So how about letting them go and I'm all yours. If you expect me and my gang to do more than keep the cops out of your hair, we'll have to renegotiate."

"Hey what do you care Hornet-, I."

The Green Hornet quickly interrupted, "if you'd rather I decline."

"No, I understand Hornet, they'll be safe and sound by tomorrow." Fonzello quickly replied with a handshake.

* * *

Later that night, Frank Scanlon, district attorney and one of only three people knowing the identity of the Green Hornet, was in his office doing some last minute case work when two figures slipped through the office's massive window. It was the Green Hornet and his faithful sidekick Kato.

"Well, I've done it," the Hornet said, interrupting Scanlon's work.

"Oh Hornet, Britt. You've got to stop sneaking up on me. Anyway, done what?"

"I've set up an operation with Fonzello. I'm going to supposedly keep the cops off of his back. He's agreed to let those girls he kidnapped go free-."

"Wait a minute Britt," Scanlon interjected, "that might be a bluff."

"No Frank, trust me in the racketeering world, partners don't usually go back on their word. He only abducted those girls to get to me. He's got no motive. Anyway, Frank, I'm letting you know that the Green Hornet has gotten inside his racket. Maybe soon, I will be able to lead you and the police to his hideout."

"Great, Britt. Then I guess we're one step closer."

"Right, well Kato and I have to get rolling. See ya' Frank," the masked man acknowledged just before sailing through the window.

"Bye Britt, bye Kato."

"Bye, Mr. Scanlon" Kato called out just before slipping through the panel after the Green Hornet.


	2. PART 2: To Trap A Hornet

**Chapter 5**

A few evenings following the Green Hornet's meeting with Fonzello at the warehouse, Britt Reid, Kato and Lenore Case all sat in Reid's kitchen, at his apartment, going over plans for the night.

"Okay Miss Case, now you know I would never do anything to endanger your life, but I need to win Fonzello's confidence," Reid said, looking warmly into his secretary's eyes.

"I'm more than happy to help out Mr. Reid, anything I can do just tell me," Miss Case responded.

"Alright, I'll have you and Kato come in with me to meet Fonzello. It's the same place as last time Kato, that warehouse," Reid informed looking directly at Kato. "We'll pose Miss Case as one of the girls from the Big Score. As an act of good faith, we'll make like the Green Hornet is going to bump her off for squealing to the Sentinel, about something that one of the Fonzello's hostages told her."

"Good idea Mr. Britt. We need to be careful, especially if his goons are armed."

"Right Kato, let's go you two," Reid instructed as the three headed for his bedroom closet, en route to the building behind his apartment.

* * *

An hour later, Fonzello sat in his usual spot in his warehouse hideout, his favorite executive chair in the big boardroom. Salvatore Locino rushed out of the nearby elevator and hurried to his boss, behind the large table.

"Boss, Frankie saw a long black car pull into the gate," Locino uttered, stumbling over his words.

"Good, Sal. That's the Hornet. I've been waitin' on that scoundrel."

"I'm glad he fell for your little deal boss."

"Yeah well, we've got him exactly where we want him. As long as he keeps our end of the bargain, we don't have to deal with any coppers," Fonzello explained, lighting a thick cigar.

Salvatore agreed and as the two men exchanged pleasantries, he promptly departed to the basement level of the warehouse, where the rest of the gang and about twenty-five other thugs were unloading a small cocaine shipment. Without warning the elevator sounded at the end of the boardroom as Fonzello glanced up. The Green Hornet and Kato zipped out.

"Well Casper," the Hornet exclaimed charging over to the table. "Are my services working for you?"

"Yeah, I guess they are Hornet," Fonzello acknowledged glancing over at Kato nervously. "Say Hornet, why'd you bring your right hand man? He makes me a bit uneasy."

"Look Casper, I'm here because I've got something to show you," the Hornet said motioning to Kato to bring out Lenore Case.

Kato quickly headed toward the elevator and brought out an attractive woman in a red dress, who had been waiting there upon their arrival.

"What the hell is this?" Fonzello managed to say, looking Miss Case up and down.

"She's a squealer. She works for your club. One of the girls that you kidnapped must've overheard your operations and blabbed the whole thing to this broad, after she went free," the Hornet announced, staring at Miss Case. "She called the Sentinel with a tip about your operations. Sloppy, sloppy, Casper old boy. It's going to be more difficult keeping the cops off of you now. That's why I demand a raise in my cut. I now want fifty percent. And as an act of generosity, I'll even bump this dame off for you," the Hornet spoke through the mask.

"That's not gonna be good for me Hornet. I'll raise you to thirty-five percent, no more, but you can go ahead and bump the woman off. I don't have time, nor do I feel like getting my hands dirty. Just make sure it's done."

"Okay Fonzello, thirty-five it is," the Hornet agreed motioning for Kato to take Miss Case back to the Black Beauty that waited outside.

"Now Hornet, sit down. Let's talk about our next business deal. My boys are going to deliver four hundred thousand dollars in cocaine to the Old Smith Docs tomorrow. You know the place?" Fonzello asked as he and the Hornet sat at opposite ends of the table, while Kato and Miss Case, the alleged squealer, left in the elevator.

"Yeah I got it Casper. About what time?"

"About midnight. Now I need you to do your usual distracting so we don't have any problems.

"That sounds good Fonzello. When do I get paid? I have yet to see a cent from you."

"You'll get paid after tomorrow's operation. All thirty-five percent, then we can set up another deal."

"You know Casper, this is beginning to look like a beautiful friendship," the Green Hornet declared as the two men shook hands.

No sooner than the business was over, the elevator sounded. As the doors opened, two men in black suits rushed into the scene.

"Casper Fonzello, FBI, hold it right there. You both are under arrest," the apparent G-man shouted waving a badge.

"Oh my God Hornet, you set me up. You let the Fed's track you here."

"No Casper, I believe I've been set up. This is it Fonzello, we are through. You wanna start a gang war?" the Green Hornet replied.

Not to be outdone, Casper Fonzello pulled out a large drawer from the table and grasped his Tommy gun. Stepping out from behind the table, he aimed it directly at the Green Hornet. As the Hornet dove to the floor behind the massive table, the federal agents each drew their guns. Fonzello turned the gun on the G-men, unloading a barrage of ammo into one. The poor man fell to the floor, blood oozing from the freshly made holes of his body. The other agent was by now on the floor, partially guarded behind a section of large crates that stood against the adjacent wall, in hopes of resisting an attack. The Green Hornet quickly drew his gas gun and sprayed its contents at the back of the gangster's head. As Fonzello aimed for the other federal agent, he dropped to the floor, his Tommy gun still in hand. As the remaining agent realized it was over, he hurriedly returned to the scene, aiming at the table he approached.

"This is it Hornet, it's over. We've got other agents cleaning you out in the basement. Give it up," the agent proclaimed.

Without warning, the Green Hornet jumped atop the table and executed a perfect roundhouse kick to the agent's jaw. As the agent fell to the floor, a shot exploded from his firearm. The Hornet quickly doused the agent with gas and as the man went unconscious, Romano Versini with four equally strapped lesser-known goons approached from the elevator.

"Alright Hornet, you dirty double crosser, you want a war. This is war," Romano declared, as the Hornet looked on. "Blast him boys."

As machinegun fire flooded the place, the Hornet dashed towards a nearby emergency exit. With every step, a shot followed him, one even nicking his right foot. With a quick leap and not a second glance back, the Green Hornet made it past the door, slamming it closed as quickly as possible. He looked ahead of him, and saw flight after flight of stairs. With quick decision, he started down the stairway, in fear of being chased. He raced down each flight, finally coming to an exit. As he stepped through, he realized he was in the back of the massive complex, in a parking lot surrounded by tall fencing. He quickly, raced to the side of the complex, where the Black Beauty lied in wait with Kato and Miss Case inside. As he approached the car, Kato stepped out.

"Mr. Britt, are you alright? I heard gunfire."

"Kato, the Fed's showed up. Fonzello thinks we betrayed him. I think a gang war has just broken out. I'll tell you more later. Let's go," the Hornet said entering the back of the limousine, as Kato got behind the wheel.

"I'm glad you're okay boss," Lenore Case informed smiling at the Hornet from the front passenger seat.

"And I'm glad nothing happened to you."

Kato pressed a button, and the Black Beauty roared into life. As it sped from the back of the complex, an armed goon jumped out from behind a dumpster, firing yet another Tommy gun. As the car sped past the armed goon, the hornet-like buzz sounded. The long black car, shot off like a rocket to the front of the facility, but slowed down as it approached the front gate. Kato pressed a button and the Black Beauty's headlights disappeared, revealing mini missile-launchers. The car stalled as Kato aimed the missiles. Suddenly, two projectiles darted from out of the headlights and in a flash, blasted the gate open. With great ferocity, the car sped out of the complex en route to home.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

The next day at the Daily Sentinel, Britt Reid was in his office, going over the afternoon edition with his editor Gunnigan, when Mike Axford bursts in.

"Hi Reid, Hi Gunnigan, you'll never guess what I heard."

"You're probably right Mike, don't you know how to knock?" Reid questioned, a bit annoyed at the interruption.

"Well boss, get this… the Detroit police have brought in the G-men to capture the Hornet and his gang."

"Wow, the Fed's," Gunnigan exclaimed, "what a story?"

"Alright Mike let's have it. What's going on?"

"Well boss, last night at Fonzello's hideout, the Green Hornet was meeting with that no- good gangster, meanwhile in the basement of the joint, his boys were trafficking cocaine. So, the Feds bust em', take out twenty hoods, all of which are in custody now, and one Fed was shot up by either the Hornet or Fonzello, and at the end of it all, both the Hornet or Fonzello, along with several of their goons had vanished."

"Wow, Axford, what a story," Britt Reid played along as if he had no idea of the previous nights' occurrences. "Gunnigan, you and Mike work together, I want this story as front page news in the evening edition."

"Wow, I made front page," Axford declared.

"Right, let's go Mike," Gunnigan declared as the two men left Reid's office.

Reid sat back in his chair laughing to himself. Axford's account of last nights events were much more tame and rather different from what he remembered as the Green Hornet. He pressed the button on the intercom.

"Miss Case, please come into my office for a moment."

As his beautiful secretary stepped into his office, he ordered her to close the door.

"Yes, Mr. Reid?"

"Miss Case, the Green Hornet is going to be front page news, this evening. Although Axford's story is going to be much different than what actually happened."

"I'll bet so, you… I mean, the Green Hornet almost didn't make it out alive," she said

"You're telling me." He exclaimed, smiling at her.

"I've been meaning to ask you all day," Miss Case started to whisper, "how is the Green Hornet going to deal with G-men? I mean Detroit cops are one thing, but…" her voice trailed off.

"Miss Case, are you alright?" Reid wondered as he noticed a blank stare come over her.

"Huh, oh I'm sorry Mr. Reid… Britt, I just worry about you? I mean all those risks you take."

"I know, but it's something I have to do."

"Why?"

"We've been through this," Reid said. "Now, to answer your question, the G-men… the Fed's, it is just another thing I'll have to chance."

"I understand boss," Miss Case declared, turning and leaving Reid's office.

* * *

A few hours later, a well-dressed paperboy stood along a dimly lit street, not far from the Daily Sentinel building with the evening edition.

"Extra, Extra… Daily Sentinel Extra," the young man started his usual banter. "G-men after Green Hornet. Fonzello gang implicated. Green Hornet still at large… READ ALL ABOUT IT."

Suddenly a flock of people mobbed the young man, throwing money into a large glass jar and nabbing the stack of papers. Papers never sold for much, maybe fifty cents, but in a lot of people's minds, the Daily Sentinel was the best newspaper Detroit had to offer.

As the papers sold, the young paperboy turned around, as the mob watched from the sidewalk in awe at the sight of a long black car speeding past. A curious noise, the hornet-like buzz, sounded as the car zoomed by.

"It's the Green Hornet," someone shouted in the crowd as the car turned to another street.

"Wow, there he goes," the paperboy exclaimed to an onlooker that had just opened his newly purchased paper.

Inside the black limousine that everyone seemed to marvel at moments before, the Green Hornet and Kato were going over the night's agenda. They were headed back to the Fonzello warehouse; to see if anything important had happened since the night before. The Black Beauty turned onto a long stretch of road, moving through the streets of Detroit like a hungry animal in search of prey. As they came to the large complex, both the Green Hornet and Kato noticed that the joint had been deserted. There were no fancy cars or federal agents, at least it appeared that way from the outside. This was surprising, considering that usually with operations like this, gangster's hideouts were high profile joints, and as a result were usually kept on close watch by authorities. Never the less, the Green Hornet quickly exited his vehicle.

"Kato wait for me here. If I'm not back in ten minutes, come find me."

"Right. Sure thing Boss," Kato assured taking over the driver's seat.

With that the Green Hornet entered the large opening where the gate used to exist, but was decimated by the powerful Black Beauty. Kato began to worry about his master as he disappeared into the darkness. The Hornet snaked his way to the back entrance where he had previously escaped with his life the night before. As he charged inside, he hurried up the stairs. He could tell the FBI had cleaned out the place and not given the joint another thought. He still had to be on his toes, because he didn't want any unexpected visitors.

As he walked into the dark but familiar boardroom, he pulled out a small flashlight from his coat pocket and began searching. He came to the large table that had previously housed Fonzello's Tommy gun. He flashed the light around and noticed a small drawer, slightly open, at the bottom of the table. He had not noticed it before, when he was hiding for cover behind the massive slab, during the previous night. He quickly opened the drawer and saw a yellow file folder. He picked it up and fumbled through it. He could not believe what he saw; a hit list with several names on it. And at the top of the list was the Green Hornet. He had wondered how log Fonzello had been attempting to double cross him. Up until last night, they were supposedly on good terms, or so he thought. He quickly thumbed through more of the file folder and saw names of people that Fonzello had apparently scared into paying him protection money. There were also the names of some prominent businesses. He wondered why the Fed's had not seized these documents. Maybe they couldn't find them. In any case, he shoved the file folder into his trench coat and continued looking.

The rest of the room looked empty. He approached the large crates next to the wall. The Fed's had opened them, probably, as evident by the missing lids. He shined his polarized flashlight into them. They were all empty. Suddenly, he heard a noise from behind, but before he could turn around, a crowbar forcefully met the back of his head.

* * *

A few moments later, Kato sat in front of the complex, outside in the Black Beauty. The Green Hornet had been gone, going on eight minutes now. He was becoming increasingly worried, but never the less he felt it was best to follow the boss' orders. From the side parking lot inside the gate, he made out two figures in the darkness, which were then illuminated by the approaching Rolls Royce's headlights. The two men were carrying a body, and then proceeded to stuff it into the trunk of the expensive machine, just before entering the car themselves. This body was no doubt the Green Hornet. Kato pressed a lever that activated a polarized green light that could only be seen from inside the car.

As the Rolls Royce started up, it slowly rolled out of the complex and onto the street. Wherever this mysterious car was headed, Kato knew he had to follow it. He pressed the ignition, and as the car roared into life, he hit the gas.

"Rig for silent running," Kato called out, and suddenly the powerful engine was calm. The Black Beauty raced down the road, not far behind the Rolls Royce, blending in neatly with the night sky. Kato knew that his master was in trouble and he would do whatever it took to get him back to safety. He feared it was going to be a long night.

* * *

About an hour later, the Green Hornet was bound to a chair, unconscious in a small, dark backroom of an undisclosed location. In walked Romano Versini and Frankie Casteline.

"Wake him up Frankie," Romano ordered, flicking the light switch, then hastily exiting the room.

Frankie Casteline approached the chair, and waved a bottle of rubbing alcohol under the Hornet's masked nose. Within moments, the Green Hornet awoke, only to realize he had been captured.

"You awake sleepyhead?" Frankie questioned.

"I'm awake fella. Where's your boss?" the Hornet uttered, a bit incoherent.

"He'll be along. You don't like being tied to that chair eh'? You see what the Fonzello gang can do to you. You want a gang war? This is a gang war. Now sit tight Hornet, the boss will be in shortly to unmask you," Frankie Casteline informed, leaving as three young hoods came in to keep watch.

"What's he paying you?" the Hornet coaxed. "I'll double it if you untie me."

"Sorry Hornet," one of the thugs replied, "you don't think we're stupid enough to sell out Mr. Fonzello do you?"

"C'mon boys, I can make it worth your while. I -," the Hornet went silent as Casper Fonzello strolled into the room.

"Well, hello partner," Fonzello greeted. "So, rat me out to the Fed's will you?"

"Casper old boy, I swear I had no idea the Fed's were onto our operation," the Hornet exclaimed trying to have some fear in his voice.

"Well Hornet, someone had to. You cost me a lot of money. That cocaine deal would've made me millions and you would've reaped some benefits. It's over Hornet," Fonzello declared, approaching the chair, ready to unmask the Green Hornet.

Immediately, Kato busted through the door, nearly breaking it.

"How'd he get in here?" Fonzello questioned as he ran out in full retreat.

"Kato," the Green Hornet said proudly.

With great force, Kato flipped a goon over his back, the goon landing on a nearby steel table. As another approached Kato delivered a sufficient punch to the gut. Suddenly Frankie Casteline entered, Tommy gun in hand. Kato reached into his pocket and extracted three green, hornet-shaped darts. With quick precision, a dart hit Casteline in the forearm, compelling the large goon to drop his weapon. Kato then ran towards Casteline and with a simple but elegant flying kick, sent him through the half broken door. Another hood charged Kato, but was swiftly met with a kick to the chest, then the masked chauffer swept the guy off his feet with a low kick, tripping the goon.

"Look out Kato," the Green Hornet managed to utter, as a rather large goon stood behind Kato, ready to strike with a large metal pipe.

The Hornet's aid moved quickly out from under the hulking man and executed another flying kick in his direction. The large thug swung the steel pipe like a baseball bat, landing a hit squarely into Kato's ribs. Kato fell to the floor, moaning in pain.

"Not so fast now, are you chinaman?" the thug remarked sarcastically.

Refusing to give up, Kato jumped up, landing back on his feet. As the large thug lunged once more at Kato, the skilled valet hurdled through the air over his aggressor. Once he landed, Kato turned behind him and unleashed an assault of punches and kicks until the bulky goon fell to the floor.

"Nice job Kato," the Green Hornet declared as Kato untied him.

"Thanks boss," the faithful valet responded.

As soon as the Green Hornet was free, the two men exited the small room and were met with even more hoods, some wielding machine guns, others just utilizing a crowbar or two.

Kato quickly fired more darts towards the armed men as the Green Hornet socked a few of the goons with some impressive punches. Kato ran up to one of the men with a gun and with a remarkable kick, sent the gun flying through the air. The Green Hornet pulled his gas gun from the pouch on his coat. As the two costumed do-gooders held their breath, a few quick spurts of the gas laid out the remaining goons.

Kato motioned for the Hornet to follow him, as the two men escaped outside to the Black Beauty. The Green Hornet took to the wheel and Kato to the passenger seat. As the long, black limousine began to pull away from the joint, Casper Fonzello chased outside, blasting away his favorite weapon at the departing Black Beauty. Fonzello had apparently still not learned that the Green Hornet's transportation was bulletproof.

"I'll get you Hornet," Fonzello uttered as he charged back into his hideout.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Early the next morning, Frank Scanlon sat in a meeting with some cops and a few federal agents at police headquarters.

"I tell you gentlemen that Casper Fonzello is still at large. This seems to be too big a problem for Detroit cops, so now we bring in the FBI. If local law enforcement, detectives and the like can not catch a crook, then he can't be caught." Frank Scanlon proclaimed.

"Like you Detroit boys know anything about catching a crook, how long has that Green Hornet character been on the streets Mr. Scanlon?" an apparently aggravated federal agent asked.

"Yes, yes I know the Green Hornet hasn't been caught yet, but that situation is a little different," Scanlon said.

"A little different?" another federal agent asked. "It's no different Mr. Scanlon, the Hornet is a gangster and that damn Fonzello is a gangster. They are the same as far as the law is concerned. Now we need to find a way to stop letting them slip through our fingers."

"Yeah well, one thing is clear gentlemen," a cop spoke up. "There is no way one man can evade the law by himself. Fonzello has connections."

"You mean the Green Hornet? Why, he's never caught either. They are in it together," one of the federal agents announced.

"Now just a minute, the Green Hornet has been around longer than this new guy Fonzello. And we didn't catch him then. I see no connection," Scanlon countered.

"Why is Mr. Scanlon always defending that Hornet?" a cop questioned the rest of the group.

"Gentlemen, if all we are going to do is argue all day, then there is no point in this meeting," Scanlon declared. "And as far as defend the Hornet, I wasn't. Now you cops need to rethink your decision on bringing in those Fed's," the attorney furiously said pointing his finger at the agents.

"You know Scanlon has a point," a cop said.

"What do you people want? We already uncovered Fonzello's drug smuggling operation, and it was the Fed's that brought in twenty members of his gang. Not the cops."

"Okay, if you wanna play it that way agent man than fine you find the Hornet and Fonzello on your own time," one of the cops exclaimed just before walking out of the meeting and slamming the door.

"Oh boy… Frankly gentlemen, if no one is going to come to a consensus, then I guess the meeting is done. I'm outta here." Scanlon exclaimed as he stormed out of the office.

* * *

Later, at the Daily Sentinel, Frank Scanlon walked into Britt Reid's office. "Hi Britt," the lawyer greeted as he sat across from Britt's desk.

"Hello Frank, how goes it?" the newspaperman replied.

"Well Britt, everything's fine… I guess. I just got out of a meeting with both cops and Fed's. Those men couldn't agree if their lives depended on it. I think it was a mistake bringing in those guys from the FBI."

"Well, that's what I think to," Britt declared, leaning back in his seat.

"Has the Green Hornet had any luck finding anything on Fonzello?"

"Well, it seems like every time Kato and I come onto something, trouble always starts. However, last night, the Green Hornet found where Fonzello had been hiding. Those crooks made the mistake of kidnapping me and taking me there. Kato came to my rescue and we got the hell out of dodge. I had Kato put in a call to the police with the tip this morning… anonymous of course, and the police called Mike Axford a few hours later with news that his hideout was deserted."

"Deserted? You don't think he might have left town."

"Well, I don't think so. But perhaps the Green Hornet will find out tonight."

* * *

Later that night, the Black Beauty raced through downtown, like a cat on the prowl. As they drove from street to street, the Green Hornet and Kato couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was as if a sudden crime wave had hit the city; Detroit had its problems with crime, but what was occurring here was close to mass chaos. Stores were being looted, prostitution was solicited and people were being attacked. It was as if the citizens of Detroit had gone mad. A few patrol cars were scattered along the street, but by now, it seemed that even the cops were helpless against the large mob of derelicts.

The Black Beauty pulled deep into an alley, on account of all the cop cars. The Green Hornet was determined to get a piece of the action, but not like this… not if there were cops around. Surely, where there were cops, the G-men wouldn't be far behind. The Hornet and Kato began to exit the car, but as they stepped out, a cop's voice blasted from a megaphone at the other end of the alley.

"STOP RIGHT THERE… WE'VE GOT YOU HORNET… GIVE UP NOW!"

With no time to lose, the Green Hornet and Kato reentered the car and took off through the other end of the alley. As they pulled onto the adjoining street, four patrol cars met them with great force, racing behind the Black Beauty in what was now a high-speed chase. The Beauty sped up to further avoid capture. The road was never-ending as the long black car suddenly turned onto the freeway. The police began firing their pistols through the windows of the patrol cars, as they also crossed onto the freeway. Soon, they were on the heels of the long black limo.

The Beauty's smoke screen was suddenly triggered, causing two of the four cops cars to pummel into each other. The remaining two veered out of the way, avoiding the two-car pile up, but losing the Black Beauty through the cloud of smoke. The Black Beauty shot down the freeway, apparently free from the cops chase. But suddenly from out of nowhere, a police chopper appeared beyond some trees that were littered next to the freeway. The chopper aimed a searchlight, and kept it pinned to the ominous black car as it moved through the night.

As the Black Beauty moved off the freeway, the police helicopter descended. As the chase progressed, the chopper began firing the large machine canon, mounted to the front, directly at the Black Beauty. The car shifted from side to side, doing its best to avoid the chopper's onslaught. The chopper swept through the air, getting closer and closer to the rear of the evading car. The Black Beauty quickly came to a fork in the road, choosing to veer left and merge onto an access ramp. The chopper had no trouble staying on the Green Hornet and his loyal aid. They suddenly came to a large bay bridge. The Hornet noticed more cops ahead, as well as in large rafts around the bay. They were surrounded. The Hornet quickly stalled the Black Beauty, suddenly coming to a stop.

"What do we do Boss?" Kato urgently questioned as a few cops began to approach the long black car.

"Kato, take the wheel. Whatever you do, don't let them get you," exclaimed the Hornet opening the car door. "I'm gonna give them a little distraction. Get home as soon as possible, and make sure you're not followed," he said exiting the car.

Kato quickly took over the driver's seat and sped toward the patrol cars ahead, and then doing a one hundred eighty degree turn, the Black Beauty zoomed off in the direction it came from. Meanwhile, the police were too busy focusing on the figure, clad in green, which had just exited the escaping black car. The cops met the Green Hornet with opposition as soon as he left the car. As the police drew their guns, the Hornet quickly gassed them with his own gun, and then, glaring up at the police chopper and more approaching cars, he rapidly dove over the edge of the bridge. Falling from what was probably a thirty-foot drop, the Hornet was trailed by shot after shot from the cops, at the edge of the bridge above. A bullet clipped the Hornet in the thigh as he abruptly crashed into the water. The chopper hovering from above aimed its searchlight back and forth through the water. The cops in the rafts gazed into the bay, close to where the Hornet landed, but nothing was found.

* * *

Early the next morning, a taxi pulled up to the Reid residence, just outside of downtown. A man stepped out, clad in regular civilian clothes: a t-shirt, jacket, and a pair of black slacks, carrying a duffle bag with some rather mysterious items in it. It was Britt Reid himself. He had hailed a taxi, to avoid suspicion of his earlier activities.

"You never saw me," Reid exclaimed, handing the cabbie a hundred dollar bill.

"Yes sir," the cabbie said with a smile, his eyes wide as he eagerly took the cash.

After paying the cabbie, Reid approached his doorstep, pressing the buzzer so Kato could answer. The door suddenly flew open.

"Mr. Britt, are you alright?" Kato said answering the door.

"I'm fine Kato, but I've got a slight injury. I was shot in the leg." Britt said limping slightly into the house.

"Oh wow, what happened? How'd you escape? You were practically surrounded."

"Well, it wasn't easy. I dove over the bridge and swam… Then I sent a signal to Frank Scanlon from my transmitter. He picked me up and gave me a ride downtown, where I hailed a cab as Britt Reid to avoid suspicion."

"How's your leg?" Kato voiced concern.

"I'll live. The bullet just grazed me. It's practically not even a flesh wound… Frank helped me out all he could, but I might be limping for a couple days."

"Of course boss. The important thing is that you're ok. What's in the bag?"

"The gas gun and the Hornet outfit. Frank gave me the bag to camouflage the Hornet gear."

"Well, I'm glad your home Mr. Britt."

"It's good to be home, I thought for sure the Green Hornet was a goner this time."

"I was worried too. I almost took the Black Beauty out again looking for you."

"Well I'm glad you didn't, that would have put both of us in danger. No more talk now, I'm tired. Night Kato," Reid said entering his bedroom.

"Night Mr. Britt." Kato exclaimed.


	3. PART 3: The Big Finish

**Chapter 8**

A couple of nights following the Green Hornet's narrow escape from Detroit police, the Black Beauty patrolled the streets like a feral beast. The Hornet and his philipino acolyte were still in search of Fonzello. The problem was, so were the cops. Britt Reid had made a mistake when he decided to circulate an article for the Daily Sentinel, a few days ago, claiming that the police knew where Fonzello's hideout was located. This gave Fonzello the upper hand. Like any good criminal scum, he would stay hidden for a while, if he knew what was good for him.

As the Black Beauty turned on a street, Kato activated the car's built in police scanner. The device beeped softly but rapidly as the car turned another corner. The car slowed to a crawl as Kato leapt out and posted a number of flyers on the side of buildings that were part of the familiar downtown strip. The flyers included a picture of Fonzello and a caption that read: "Wanted By Green Hornet… Casper Fonzello, AT ALL COST!" Quicker than he was out, the short philipino man reentered the Black Beauty, and the car sped away.

* * *

The next morning, Britt Reid sat in his office, at the Sentinel, talking with Gunnigan and Mike Axford.

"I tell you Reid, this gang war between the Hornet and Fonzello is scaring everyone in town. It's pretty hard to be a good crime reporter when all the leads you get, turn out to be nothing on account of everyone's afraid to talk. Why I went to see a witness the other day that wouldn't tell me nothin' I could use, on account of fear."

"Well Mike, keep trying. You're the best reporter I've got. And I know Mike Axford isn't shy when it comes to the Green Hornet," Reid smirked at Mike then followed it with a laugh.

"He's right Mike," Gunnigan chimed in. "You never have been scared of the Green Hornet."

"Holy Crow, I tell you… If I ever get my hands on that devil, I'll," Axford ate his words as soon as he looked at Reid and Gunnigan grinning to each other at the sight of how much this jolly old reporter gets upset at too much talk of the Green Hornet."

"Careful Mike, you're blood pressure might rise too high. The Sentinel's medical benefits aren't that great," Gunnigan half whispered jokingly, so his boss wouldn't hear.

"Well gentlemen, I don't pay you to sit around and talk to the boss all day, get back to work," Reid ordered.

"One of these days Reid, the police will have that Hornet," Axford declared stepping out of the office behind Gunnigan.

"One of these days Mike," Reid agreed, relieved at the sound of the door slamming behind his employees.

He picked up the phone and called Frank Scanlon. He grew a bit tense as it rang. "Hi Frank," Reid greeted at the sound of his friend's hello.

"Britt, I was just about to call you. You wouldn't believe it," Scanlon muttered excitedly.

"What is it Frank?"

"The police telephone lines have somehow crossed with Fonzello's. Law enforcement keeps the line open, to eavesdrop on his gang, every time they make a phone call."

"Well, out with it Frank. Have they been able to pinpoint his location?

"Unfortunately no, they trace the phone call, and every time the line is cut there is no evidence that a call even took place. It's almost as if their phone line doesn't exist," Frank Scanlon informed.

"Hmm, that is strange," Reid exclaimed to his friend, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Well, if the lines are crossing, then we know he's close. This means he hasn't left town."

"Good news for the Green Hornet," Scanlon affirmed.

"That's the trouble, every time the Green Hornet tries to get some kind of information, the police, not to mention the Fed's are right there at my heels. I don't usually have this problem. Fonzello is a big name in this town. Everybody wants a piece of this guy."

"Well if he's too big for his britches, let's cut 'em down to size," the attorney proclaimed.

"I need to set another trap. Gaining his confidence is not an option because of this gang war, so we can't bring him down from the inside. We need to hurry Frank. Everyday that he remains free, is more time he has to carry out his fiendish plans."

"What are you going to do?" Scanlon wondered.

"I think tonight, the Green Hornet is going to set a trap. I'll keep you posted Frank."

"Right Britt. I'll talk to you later, I'm late for a meeting."

"Okay Frank, later," Britt acknowledged hanging up the phone.

* * *

A few hours later, the Green Hornet and Kato lingered outside Fonzello's nightclub The Big Score. As they entered through the back, they heard a group of men talking in the next room.

"Well Romano, we're doing a great job of keeping the boss hidden. The cops don't suspect a thing," Frankie Casteline declared to his partners, Romano Versini and Salvatore Locino.

"Look Frankie, the boss could care less about the cops. It's the Green Hornet he wants. He's -."

Suddenly, the apparent meeting was interrupted as the door to the place was shattered by Kato's iron fist. As the heavy wooden door was shattered, Kato and the Green Hornet stepped through the entryway.

"Well, if it isn't the Green Hornet," Romano Versini acknowledged.

"So, your boss wants me heh? Well I want him too," the Hornet pronounced.

"A match made in heaven," Frankie Casteline uttered.

"What are you doin' here Hornet? The boss isn't here," Salvatore Locino spoke up.

"Fonzello's affairs have ruined my plans for long enough. He's through, and so is this gang."

"Don't be so sure of that Hornet," Romano asserted pulling out a small pistol.

Suddenly from Kato's pocket came a handful of the hornet-shaped darts. With careful precision, Romano Versini fired a shot in the Hornet's direction. The Green Hornet lunged out of the way. In turn, Kato aimed and fired the darts, striking Versini in the shoulder, knee and hand, forcing the armed goon to lose his shooter. Quickly, the Green Hornet made a beeline for Versini, striking an uppercut to the chin. Versini fell backwards collapsing into the right corner of the room. Salvatore Locino and Frankie Casteline both darted behind the large meeting table in the center of the room.

With a daring kick of his feet, Kato leapt to the top of the table. Soon the skilled valet danced across the table as a sudden spray of gunfire came through. The Green Hornet somersaulted across the floor, firing his gas gun in the direction of the armed goons under the table. Kato sprang from the table with an impressive back flip, landing next to the battered entrance to which he and his master had entered moments before. Locino and Casteline quickly rose to the floor, and while maneuvering through the gas, retreated through another door on the other side of the large room. Kato quickly leapt over the damaged table in pursuit, but the Hornet had other plans.

"Kato, let them go," the Green Hornet commanded. "We've got Fonzello's right-hand man."

Kato immediately picked up the unconscious Versini from the floor and threw him over his shoulder. Suddenly, two rather large bouncers entered the room from the door that the gangsters fled through. Kato and the Hornet made a hasty exit out the back door and to the Black Beauty. Kato threw Versini in the back of the long black car and hopped into the front passenger seat. As the Green Hornet pressed a button the great car roared into life. With impressive speed the Black Beauty shot out of the parking lot and through a narrow alleyway, onto the street, and into the night.

The Green Hornet put the Black Beauty on autopilot and put in a call to Frank Scanlon.

"Hello Frank," the Hornet spoke through the mask. "No, we have Fonzello's number one guy. We're dropping him off with the police in hopes that the police will understand that the Green Hornet is not connected with the Fonzello racket in any way. Right Frank… okay Hornet out."

The Black Beauty slowed to a crawl as it neared the police station. Kato hurriedly attached the Hornet seal to Romano Versini's forehead, from the back seat. As the Black Beauty passed by the front of the headquarters the hornet-like buzz sounded and Kato hurled the goon out the back of the long limousine. The unconscious Versini hit the sidewalk's cool pavement with a thud as a crowd of cops rushed out the front of headquarters.

"It's the Green Hornet," one said as the Black Beauty sped off in the distance. "Maybe he's not in cahoots with the Fonzello gang after all," he continued looking on, as his fellow officers rounded up the unconscious gangster.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

The next morning, Britt Reid sat in his office with Frank Scanlon and a Detroit cop named Jack Smith.

"Basically Mr. Reid," the cop began, "I'm serving you as well as every other newspaper in the city a cease and desist order. The chief of police knows that news like this will spread. He doesn't want anyone publishing the story of last night's apprehension of that gangster. He's afraid you will put your own biased spin on things as you news types often do."

"Well Officer Smith, I can't say that I blame the police. I don't want anything to get in the way of your boys investigation. Although it will be a shame to not jump on such a terrific story," Reid said, leading the cop on.

"Wow… Mr. Reid, this is surely the easiest news I've delivered all day. The people over at the other paper's I've spoken with threw a fit."

"Well I can assure you officer that there is one reporter working for me that if he knew this news, and knew that he couldn't publish it, he'd throw a nasty fit as well. I'm just glad Mike's not here yet," Reid turned his attention to Frank Scanlon.

"Well Britt, we're closer than ever… All these gentleman need to do is get me Fonzello and I'll make sure he gets his just desserts," Scanlon responded.

"That's fine… Mr. Smith, you don't have to worry about any news of this from the Sentinel. You have my word."

"Oh yes, and Britt always keeps his word," Scanlon assured the cop.

"Thank you Mr. Reid, and if you don't mind my saying so, this is Detroit's best newspaper," Officer Smith smiled to Reid as he got up and left the office.

Frank Scanlon leaned back in his chair as Reid arose from the desk.

"You know Frank, the Green Hornet was very fortunate to have captured Fonzello's main goon. Have the cops gotten any cooperation from this guy?"

"I'm not sure yet Britt, I haven't been down to the station yet. I would imagine that the cops have their work cut out for them. He's probably going to be very loyal to his man and not talk much."

"Well, the cops have ways of making people squeal."

"That they do Britt, that they do. Look friend, I'm gonna get out of here and let you get some work done," Scanlon affirmed as he got up and walked to the office door.

"Sure thing Frank, you're a busy man as well, I imagine."

"Indeed. Bye Britt," Scanlon greeted and walked out, closing the door behind him.

"Bye," Britt whispered with a wave. The night before had been a busy night. Perhaps tonight the Green Hornet would have even greater luck.

Meanwhile, at police headquarters, Romano Versini sat alone, in a darkly lit, quiet interrogation room. Three police detectives entered, and quickly began giving Versini the business about his affairs with Casper Fonzello.

"So Mr. Versini, we're going to make this easy on you," one determined detective proclaimed. "You can either be cooperative and tell us what you know, or there is of course the hard way of doing things."

"That's right, you better talk Romano, or you'll be sorry," another of the detectives said.

"You people ain't getting' shit from me," the nervous gangster blabbed. "I would never sell out the most powerful man in Detroit."

"You're wrong Romano," a detective declared, getting in the gangster's face. "He was the most powerful man in Detroit. Since his conviction, his empire has crumbled. Anyway, you don't need to worry about him. You'll get police protection."

"Heh, that's a laugh. Anyway, you're wrong. Casper ain't no fool. He's building contacts. If it is as you say," Romano declared, "then he'll be back on top in no time."

"What about the Green Hornet?" another detective questioned.

"What about him? That guy gets in every gangster's way that comes through this town, because he wants to be the reigning crime boss of Detroit. That's why he brought me here. He and Fonzello got a big rivalry goin'."

"Really? Well, we were under the impression from every newspaper in the city that they were in this together."

"Yeah, you cops think you know everything don't you."

"Look Romano, we aren't gonna ask you again, where's your boss."

"You ain't gettin' nothin' from me. I ain't no wise guy."

"Listen Romano, we already know that Fonzello killed a federal agent. It's over."

"Hey where are the Fed's," Romano questioned.

"We'll ask the questions here Versini."

"Look, you're little interrogation is through. I ain't talkin', Romano repeated.

"Alright Versini have it you're way," a frustrated detective said motioning to outside of the room.

Three novice cops walked into the room and grabbed the uncooperative Romano Versini.

"Get 'em outta here boys," a cop ordered turning to Versini. "You disgust me Romano."

"Hey the hell with you copper," a raving Versini screamed as he was led out of the interrogation room, and back to his cell."

Suddenly, a mystified Mike Axford walked by staring the detectives up and down.

"Say, was that Fonzello's right hand guy?" the eager reporter questioned.

"Why yes it was," one of the detectives spoke up.

"Well then what are you waitin' for, spill it."

"Sorry sir, we can't give you reporter's anything right now. Wait until the case is closed."

"Holy crow," a furious Mike Axford blew up. "You mean to tell me, you don't have anything?"

"Sorry pal, we can't get the media involved right now."

"Thanks for doin' your job guy. I'll have you know I used to be a police detective and… Oh never mind," Axford proclaimed, storming out of the police station, headed for his car.

* * *

That afternoon at the Daily Sentinel, Britt Reid, Kato and Lenore Case all sat in the privacy of Reid's office talking.

"This has been the longest and most frustrating case in the Green Hornet's career. Finding Fonzello is like finding a needle in a hay stack," Britt Reid declared from behind his desk.

"Well what do you expect, he's got all those goons to move him around if he is ever in danger of being caught. Don't beat yourself up boss," Miss Case spoke, flashing a smile in her boss' direction.

"That's the problem Miss Case, we need to get a lock on him and get him before he has another chance to escape," Reid explained.

With great fury, Mike Axford abruptly bursts into the room, slamming the door behind him. "Hi Reid, Hi Kato, Hi Casey," the frantic reporter acknowledged, nearly out of breath. "You won't believe it Reid. I found Fonzello. I found him."

"Mr. Axford we were having an important meeting," Kato spoke up.

"Yes Axford what's this all about."

"Well, I arrived at the police station just as that gangster that the cops nabbed was being interrogated. And what did I hear? Well as I was leaving, that goon was on the phone getting his one phone call see, and I heard him say an address… Fourteen Seventy One something… Holy Crow the name escapes me."

"C'mon Axford what is it? Think," Reid exclaimed.

"Four… Four… Fourteen Seventy-One Hangman's Court. That's it Reid… that's it."

"Oh Mike, Hangman's court. That's the abandoned warehouse that the G-men seized. That's Fonzello's old hideout. There's nothing there," Reid uttered, a bit disappointed.

"Mike, if Mr. Reid prints that, he'll be sued for libel."

"It's just a hot tip Casey, he ain't gonna be sued. Reid if you don't want anymore tips from this ace reporter, then just say so."

"Ace reporter, yeah right," Miss Case mumbled under her breath.

"It's fine Axford, leave me in peace," he said, motioning for both his reporter and secretary to leave the office.

As they left, Reid wrote down the address that Mike Axford had given him. Kato looked at Reid from across the desk, and could tell that his master had something in mind for tonight as the Green Hornet.

"Kato, it might be a good idea to check that warehouse again. Those goons might have migrated back there, under the Fed's noses. There's no time to lose. Return home and get everything ready. I'll meet you there shortly."

"Sure thing Mr. Britt," Kato exclaimed before exiting the spacious office.

* * *

**Chapter 10**

That night the Black Beauty pulled into the familiar yet rundown complex that was the Fonzello warehouse. The Green Hornet jumped out of the passenger side and disappeared into the blackness of night as the Black Beauty sped around to the back of the massive building. Kato noticed two large armored vans and two luxurious black sedans that were parked in various parts of the back parking lot. He wasn't sure if the vehicles belonged to federal agents or gangsters.

He exited the Black Beauty and entered the back door. He activated a small flashlight to make his way up the shadowy staircase. He could tell that no one was likely at the warehouse, but he needed to be sure, so he advanced up the stairs. As he came to an open door, he stepped inside. Realizing the room was the familiar boardroom that he and the Green Hornet had seen before, he waved his light around in search of anything suspicious. The place seemed dead. Everything was too quiet. He moved over to the large crates at the edge of the room. There was nothing. The room was definitely empty.

Suddenly from out of nowhere, the swing of a crowbar caught the noble valet off guard. The tip of the weapon struck him on the back of the neck, and with a loud thud Kato fell to the floor.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Green Hornet was in the basement of the apparently deserted warehouse. He had found a fuse box and turned on the lights to the warehouse's old, musty lowest level. He couldn't find anything implicating. The Fed's had cleaned out the large drug shipment that was supposed to take place. This basement was definitely where Fonzello handled all of his illegal operations. The Hornet failed to understand how Mike Axford could have overheard Romano Versini give someone the address of this abandoned warehouse. He also couldn't figure out why no Fed's kept an eye on this place.

Suddenly the Hornet heard a loud hum come from all around. Someone was using the elevator. He didn't want to take a chance that it might not be Kato approaching, so he dashed to the fuse box and cut the lights. As the gate to the old fashioned lift opened, the Hornet took cover behind a solid steel table that was no doubt used for drug trafficking.

"Well Salvatore, tell the Boss that the Hornet has definitely been here. We have his partner. I heard a noise up here in the basement so I thought I'd check it out. No don't worry, I'll be right down," the Green Hornet heard Frankie Casteline utter into an intercom on the wall.

Without any hesitation, the Green Hornet jumped out from behind the table.

"It's you." Casteline uttered in surprise.

"So you've got my partner. Well I want him back."

"No way Hornet… an eye for an eye. You gave Romano to the cops. It's a done deal."

"Alright then tough guy, you and me," the Hornet exclaimed moving towards Casteline.

"Back off Hornet," Frankie commanded drawing a revolver.

With great haste the Hornet threw his foot up and with a powerful kick sent the firearm sailing through the air. The Hornet moved in grabbing Casteline by the shirt.

"Alright pal, where is Fonzello hiding?"

"I ain't sayin' nothin'," Casteline persisted.

The Green Hornet threw the gangster to the wall. "Talk or you're through," he demanded throwing Casteline to the floor and kicking him in the gut. "Talk now," the Hornet ordered losing his patience.

Out of fear, Casteline finally broke, "below us there is a sub basement that the gang took refuge in. No one knows about it, but us. The Boss had it put in for emergency use," Casteline uttered losing his breath.

"How do I get down there?" the Hornet questioned.

"I ain't talking, you don't know what he'll do to me."

Tell me, or I'll do worse," the Hornet said giving another swift kick to Casteline's ribs.

"Okay, okay... The wall to the far left opens up and a staircase takes you there," Casteline declared trying to get up from the floor.

"Stay down," the Hornet warned.

He raced to the far wall, feeling along with his hand for a lever or a switch or something to release the barrier. He came upon a small button that was nearly invisible and pressed it. Suddenly the wall parted from the middle revealing a narrow doorway that gave way to a dark staircase.

The Hornet quickly returned to Casteline feeding him some gas from the gas gun, then darted down the stairs.

* * *

Moments later, Casper Fonzello himself was in the center of the large sub basement. This area was so big, that it probably spanned from one end of the entire complex to the other. Fonzello had his usual demeanor. He was arrogant but classy and hunched over in his chair, as if it were a throne, with cigar in mouth. Salvatore Locino sat at a nearby table reading the latest issue of the Daily Sentinel and drinking a cup of coffee. Many of Fonzello's lower level thugs were stationed at various points throughout the room. And the most disturbing thing was Kato, apparently unconscious, strapped to a table by his hands, feet and torso.

A random thug moved towards Kato's direction and doused the poor man with ice-cold water. Moments later, Kato began to stir.

"Ah, you're awake. How nice of you to join us. Where is the Green Hornet?" Fonzello questioned, moving towards Kato.

"I'll never tell you," Kato countered, getting a bit nervous.

"That's not what I want to hear, and I don't think you are in any position to be telling me what I don't want to hear… Boys go ahead," Fonzello said ordering them to do something obviously terrible.

One of many very large goons stepped out from nowhere with a bottle of Everclear one hundred proof alcohol.

"Alright mister, now tell us where the Hornet is. And we'll have a drink," Fonzello uttered sarcastically, laughing to himself.

"Never," Kato exclaimed, always loyal to his master.

"Perhaps a drink will loosen you up," Fonzello declared as the rather large crony with the liquor began forcing down Kato's throat.

Kato choked and gagged, gasping for air, while spitting the strong alcohol into the goon's face. Suddenly from out of nowhere came the Green Hornet, with a flying kick, knocking down Salvatore Locino.

"Hornet. So we meet again," Fonzello sneered.

"You let my partner go."

"Oh Hornet, it's not that easy. See, you took Romano from me. There is no way, I'm just gonna give up."

"Have it your way Casper old boy," the Hornet accepted, as a few various goons began surrounding him.

As the goons got closer and closer, encircling him, the Hornet lashed out with a terrific right hook to one goon's jaw. Another quickly grabbed the Hornet from behind with the grip of a bear. As the goon lifted the Hornet from the floor slightly, the Hornet kicked another goon as hard as he could in the ribs. The Hornet managed to get his left arm free and jammed his elbow into the goon's stomach. The goon released his bear grip and the Hornet quickly threw him over his shoulder.

From the corner of his eye the Hornet could see Fonzello escaping through an exit on the other side of the massive locale. Kato was still bound to the table as another goon grabbed a Tommy gun and pointed it at the Hornet with minimum range. The Hornet quickly drew his gas gun and fired. The goon fired the Tommy gun a few rounds hitting a few other goons before dropping to the floor. The Hornet heaved out of the way and took solace behind the table that Kato was bound to. The Hornet, realizing that all the goons were taken care of, freed Kato from the table. As the Hornet and Kato were about to leave, Kato heard a click come from behind. In a moment's notice Kato whipped around and shot a hornet shaped dart into the neck of an armed goon that wasn't quite finished off. The goon dropped his piece and fell to the floor in pain.

The Hornet and Kato quickly exited through the access that Fonzello used. They headed up an extensive staircase. Once they were at the top, they realized the door wouldn't budge. It didn't seem locked, but it was as if something barricaded it from the other side. Kato gave it a kick. Then the Hornet followed with a kick. Then with all their might, both men backed up and ran for it, pounding through the barricade. On the other side of the door was the outside of the complex. It turned out there was no barricade, just a heavy, steel door with a digital voice activated lock.

Before they knew what was going on, one of the large armored vans carrying the gangsters sped by them from out of the complex. But just as Fonzello and his crew were escaping, three long black federal cars pulled into the complex. The Green Hornet and Kato decided it was time to leave. They had enough problems apprehending Fonzello; the last thing they needed was the cops and Fed's on their tail. Kato drew a key ring from his pocket and activated the remote control. In a matter of seconds, the Black Beauty sped from behind the complex to collect the Hornet and Kato. Soon they were off, in pursuit of Fonzello.

* * *

**Chapter 11**

The pursuit of Fonzello was a long time in the making. The Green Hornet had run into trouble with the police and federal agents. It seemed that nearly every lead the Hornet got on Fonzello had been spoiled by law enforcement. Not tonight however… Tonight was going to be the night that the Green Hornet got his man.

The Black Beauty was rigged for silent running and followed Fonzello's armored van closely, cloaked in darkness. A few moments earlier, the Black Beauty was met with some opposition from behind, as a federal car gave the Green Hornet and Kato some trouble. A couple of explosive charges, from the Black Beauty's bumper, took care of the nuisance Fed's, leaving them stranded on the side of the dark road. This made it easier for the Green Hornet and Kato to operate.

As the armored van pulled on a long strip of road, the Black Beauty continued to trail behind it, out of sight. The armored van drove through what appeared to be another complex. The van stalled for a moment as Fonzello and a few cronies got out. The Green Hornet recognized the area. This was an old, abandoned airstrip that supposedly hadn't been used since World War II.

It suddenly hit the Green Hornet like a ton of bricks. Fonzello's plan was to escape by air. He was going to use one of the many old bomber's, that were housed at this airstrip, to flee the city. Suddenly, the Black Beauty sped out of the darkness as Fonzello and his cronies had already boarded the colossal bomber. Without warning, the massive plane exploded out of one of the hangers. As it left the landing bay, and entered the runway, the plane picked up speed.

Suddenly two federal cars came out of nowhere. The Green Hornet hadn't evaded them like he thought. They hurried through the airstrip on the runway to try to nab the Black Beauty as well as the fast, bulky bomber plane. Shots rang out across the runway as the Fed's tried to apprehend two of Detroit's most wanted men. The Green Hornet hit the brakes and the Black Beauty fell behind the convoy of moving vehicles. Kato used the Black Beauty's built in targeting computer to aim the built in missile launchers at the bomber. The Green Hornet stalled the vehicle completely as Kato waited for the right moment, and then fired.

Two missiles shot through the night sky like fireworks. It took a moment for the missiles to reach their destination, but after a few moments each of the bomber plane's turbines had been decimated by the blast. The plane howled as the twisted metal stalled its massive frame. The Fed's exited their vehicles and raced to the bomber.

"Hit the deck," one of them called out as Fonzello fired his machine gun at the approaching G-men.

From overhead, came another flaring missile from the Black Beauty, and the plane was impacted with a small explosion. The Black Beauty sped past the Fed's sounding the infamous Hornet buzz. Suddenly the Black Beauty was gone. The Green Hornet knew the Fed's had the situation under control and was more interested in fleeing the scene to avoid capture, especially since the plane was ruined. Fonzello had nowhere to go.

The small group of Federal agents approached the plane cautiously. There was a giant opening in the side of the plane, just near the front of the right wing, from the small explosion. Fonzello climbed out of the plane firing his machine gun. Abruptly, a G-man crept from behind and fired a neutralizing shot, striking Fonzello in the leg. As Fonzello fell to the ground in pain, his firearm hit the ground. Two federal agents towered over him, anxious to make an arrest, while the remaining Fed's entered the battered plane to round up the rest of Fonzello's thugs. Suddenly another federal car and a host of police squad cars came on the scene as one of the agents read Fonzello his rights. The nightmare was finally over.

* * *

The next day, a meeting was being held in Britt Reid's office at the Daily Sentinel. Frank Scanlon was heading the meeting that consisted of Britt Reid, Kato, Mike Axford, Lenore Case and Gunnigan.

"Well, all is well, the police nabbed Fonzello last night and now they've got all his men too. He will have a retrial tomorrow and I've spoken to the judge. Since the grand jury has made a previous decision, the judge is gonna rule them out and give him the chair. I had a surprise for the Sentinel. I arranged for law enforcement to keep the news pretty hush-hush. This paper deserves to be the first to print the news. But you guys better hurry. Some cop down at the station might be selling it to your rivals," Scanlon stated with a long breath.

"Thanks a lot Frank. We like to believe around here that no crime could ever be solved without help from the Sentinel. But Frank there is still something you and your boys haven't done," Mike Axford declared.

"Oh yeah Mike what's that?" Scanlon asked.

"Catch the Hornet. Ha Ha Ha. He's too smart for you people and much too smart for Detroit," Axford stated in a sarcastic tone.

"We'll work on it Mike," Scanlon said smiling at Reid.

"Alright everyone," Reid spoke up. "Get to work on the news. Meeting's over."

As the small crowd exited Reid's office, only Reid, Kato Frank Scanlon and Lenore Case remained.

"Well Kato, you and Britt have done a lot for this city."

"Thanks Frank, it wasn't easy. But now justice will be served."

"Well Mr. Reid, now that the Green Hornet has nabbed the city's biggest crime boss, would he like to take a girl to dinner?" Miss Case questioned, blushing. "We could celebrate."

"Um, that sounds great Casey. Why not, I'll have the first night off that I've had in a long while," Britt agreed.

"Well now, sounds like you two have a big night planned," Scanlon said. "I'll see you both at the retrial tomorrow," he said, waving goodbye and leaving Reid's office.

"Well gang, we did it," Reid pronounced, looking at Kato then at Miss Case."

"So what's next for the Green Hornet Boss?" Miss Case questioned in a slightly flirty tone.

"Dinner with his secretary," Reid shrugged as the three walked out of his office.


End file.
